"Bad Market" for Cameroonian players

Many are yet to find new clubs while others have fallen in grace with their clubs as their stock drops in transfer market.

It is as if the 23 Lions who took part in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil are being haunted by a curse. The transfer season is bustling with activity yet virtually no offers are being made for Cameroonian players.

The Lions are obviously paying the price for their dismal performance at the World Cup given that players from countries who did well at the world soccer showpiece are selling like hot cake on the transfer market.

For instance, Real Madrid is offering the colossal sum of 70 million Euros plus two players for the young Colombian striker, James Rodriguez who was one of the major revelations of the tournament. They have also secured the signing of FIFA World Cup-winning Germany midfielder Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich on a six-year contract.

The ill-fortune of the World Cup Lions is illustrated in the team captain, Samuel Eto’o who is yet to receive a concrete offer since coming to the end of his one-year contract with Chelsea. Eto’o’s stock is at its lowest ebb in the transfer market partly due to his age and dwindling performance following a string of injuries. Even in the eventuality of finding a new club, his salary will be greatly reduced due to the above considerations.

It has also been dwindling fortunes for goalkeeper Itandje, Alexandre Song, Nguemo and Assou Ekotto who had hoped to use the platform of the World Cup to stage a comeback and play a first role in their respective clubs where they played the second fiddle. Landry Nguemo is without a club and Moukandjo’s dream of leaving the French second division, has been dashed to the wall.

Despite an impressive performance last season during which he helped his club to the Europa League title, Seville refused to confirm Stephane Mbia’s loan into a purchase and are willing to part ways with the Cameroonian midfielder. The ill luck is affecting even Vincent Aboubakar who emerged the second highest goal scorer in the French League One and was hoping to make a move to a bigger club this season.

The only Cameroonian player who has changed clubs this year is Choupo-Moting who will be moving from Mayence to Schalke 04. Matip was tipped to join Bayern Munich but this has not yet come to fruition.

However, it is good business for the other players from African countries who put up a spirited fight during the Brazil World Cup campaign. This is the case with Andre Ayew who is being coveted by two German clubs sides; Schalke and Borussia M’gladbach.

Michael Essien is also being solicited by Turkish club side Trabzonspor which there are moves underway to have Didier Drogba return to Chelsea. Algeria’s Faouzi Ghoulam is being coveted by Chelsea but his present club side, Naples is unwilling to part ways with him. While his fellow citizen Yacine Brahimi is also being solicited by the Portuguese side, Porto.

Goalkeeper M’Bolhi will also be leaving CSKA of Sofia-Bulgaria for a richer club west of the old continent. Cameroonian players can therefore be said to be penny wise and pound foolish as the strike action to clamour for FCFA5.5 is costing them billions in the transfer market as their consequent poor performance caused their sticks to drop drastically while others soared high after the world cup.